Cordoba continues hot streak as Cologne thrash Freiburg

Cologne 4-0 Freiburg
Goals: 1-0 Bornauw (29'), 2-0 Cordoba (55'), 3-0 Ehizibue (90+1'), 4-0 Jakobs (90+2')

Having both slipped to damaging defeats last week, the teams began at a furious pace here as if determined to make instant amends. Freiburg went closest to scoring in a frenetic opening period, but Manuel Gulde’s header from a corner thundered off the crossbar. Cologne subsequently grew into the game and after Cordoba flashed a header wide of the target, Sebastiaan Bornauw broke the deadlock following a goalmouth scramble after a corner. The hosts remained in control after that, although Freiburg midfielder Changhoon Kwon very nearly scored a stunning equaliser shortly before half-time, but his sensational volley as a long ball dropped over his shoulder was well saved by Timo Horn.

Cheered on by the vociferous home support, Cologne sought the knockout blow after the break, and after a last-ditch block from Freiburg captain Christian Günter denied Mark Uth a certain goal, Cordoba put daylight between the teams when he pounced on the rebound after Alexander Schwolow could only parry Jonas Hector’s low shot from the edge of the box. Chances subsequently arrived for Cologne as if on a conveyor belt, as Uth went close again with a dipping free-kick, Cordoba was sent clean through on goal, Ismail Jakobs had a fierce shot well saved and Bornauw headed over from a corner. That lack of a killer instinct ultimately mattered little, however, as the damage had already been done and late strikes from Kingsley Ehizibue and Jakobs put the seal on an impressive and vital victory in Cologne's bid for survival.

• Petersen made his 200th Bundesliga appearance here.
• Opposing teams have hit the frame of Cologne's goal nine times this season - only Freiburg have been luckier this season with the woodwork saving them 11 times.
• The Billy Goats have scored from corners seven times in 2019/20, and a whopping 33 per cent of all their goals have come from set-pieces this term (nine of 27).
• Bornauw's goal was his fourth of the season, making him the second-highest scoring defender in the league behind Frankfurt's Martin Hinteregger (six).
• All seven of Cordoba's Bundesliga goals this season have come in his last six home appearances.
• Cologne have collected 16 points in nine matches under Gisdol, compared to seven in 11 under predecessor Achim Beierlorzer.

Watch: Uth: "These are the games we need to win"

Cologne: Horn – Ehizibue, Bornauw, Czichos, Katterbach (Schmitz 46') – Skhiri, Hector (c) – Drexler (Kainz 89'), Uth, Jakobs – Cordoba (Terodde 81')
Unused subs: Kessler, Höger, Schindler, Modeste, Thielmann, Leistner
Out: Clemens (knee), Krahl (cold)
Coach: Markus Gisdol

Freiburg: Schwolow – Gulde, Koch, Heintz – Schmid, Haberer (Waldschmidt 46'), Höfler, Günter (c) – Kwon, Petersen (Sallai 68'), Höler
Unused subs: Flekken, Lienhart, Schlotterbeck, Abrashi, Frantz, Borrello, Itter
Out: Kübler (knee)
Coach: Christian Streich

Watch: Ehizibue: "We're starting to go up now"